The Demigod Secrets
by NehaK71580
Summary: Ever thought how exactly Nico released Hazel from the Underworld? Did Jason get to talk to Thalia before leaving CHB? Well, there are A LOT of scenes from The PJO/HoO series which were mentioned but were Not actually in the books. Demigod Secrets reveal them all! Some drabbles will be included too. My very first fanfic. READ, ENJOY and REVIEW!
1. Freedom

**(A/N: Hello Awesomesauce Fans! First of All, A Very Happy New Year 2014 :D.**

**Secondly, I'm Soo Nervous :P. Thirdly Please enjoy this story and don't forget to review!**

**_The Demigod Secrets_ will have all**** those stories which have been said to happen in the PJO/HoO series, but never depicted. The chapters will be from different POVs (and there will be a lot of chapters i assure you!)**

**As for the first chapter, it's from Nico's POV (quite a challenge isn't it?). In this short story you'll see what's going on in his mind as he revives Hazel Levesque from the Underworld. **

**As most of you already know, these awesome characters belong to Rick Riordian. Happy reading!)**

Nico di Angelo was strolling in the Underworld, which was almost a daily occurrence. But today he was restless, deep in thought of the last conversation he had with his father, about an hour ago. _What did he mean? _Nico kept asking himself again and again. The keys on his belt jingled as he walked. He tried to recall the moments again.

His father, the so-called 'Lord of the Underworld', was having a huge problem. Even though this problem was nowhere near the Titan war last summer, it definitely could cause a serious trouble if not solved. Thanatos, the incarnation of Death himself, was nowhere to be found. He had been suddenly gone missing a few days ago, though it was hard to tell time in the Underworld. Nico knew that there could be only one explanation to this- Thanatos has been kidnapped; because for obvious reasons he couldn't take a holiday (though the dude _deserves _a holiday, Nico thought). Anyway, when Nico had visited the throne room to report, he had found his father sitting on his throne.

Hades sat there in a very regal posture, his face stern, the horrified faces of the damned souls glinting silver and white in his black robes. He was rubbing his golden keys, his brows creased in tension & his eyes looking at a random spot, as if he was thinking how to pulverize that very spot. Nico had the same expressions when he was worried and angry at the same time. He always wondered why did _he _get to have more traits of his dad.

"My Lord" Nico called. Hades looked at him, his expression softening just a little. Nico bowed.

"Did you find Thanatos?" Hades asked in an irritable tone, though Nico suspected he was trying to hide a roar of anger. _Always so grumpy _Nico thought.

He sighed "No, Father. I think...I think he's been kidnapped."

Hades waved his hand as if trying to deny it, his scowl deepening "Not again! The last time it happened, it caused so much trouble here! So many souls to reap..." He sighed in exasperation, looking at another random spot, rubbing his fingers on his keys, and then focused at Nico again "Any idea who kidnapped it?"

"No" Nico replied in a lower tone.

Hades straightened on his throne "I have to do something about it. The dead must not wander on the Earth, especially not now when-" He stopped suddenly.

"Wait, What?" Nico asked. "What are you talking about?".

Hades ignored his question "The point is that we have to find Thanatos before things get more complicated."

Nico suspected he was hiding something. Gods always hide something, but Nico knew better than pressing Hades with the questions.

Right then a gentle, pleading voice called out of a chamber "Hades! I can't find my Kadupuls. Oh where are my rare wildflowers?!"

Hades sighed and shook his head "Not Now!" he yelled towards the door that led to the chamber of Persephone, the Goddess of Springtime. _Ugh! Not Persephone again, _Nico thought.

He wasn't anxious to meet his stepmother, who stayed in the Underworld in winters, so he said "I'll be going now."

"Wait, son." Hades said.

Nico frowned "What is it now?". Nico tried not to show his irritation. Though he was glad that his father has accepted him more or less, it didn't mean he liked to do all the 'duties' given to him.

Hades thought for a moment, then tossed his keys to Nico. Nico barely caught the bundle, looking surprised. These were really special keys; the Keys of Hades they called it; which had almost gotten in the hands of a Titan about an year ago. The keys were one of the source of Hades power. They held the power to lock or unlock death (not Death as in Thanatos, but 'death').

Hades smiled, (which was slightly better than the scowl, but really creepy) "You might need them. Guard the keys for me." he said. Then he dissolved into the black mist.

* * *

_What did he mean? _Nico thought again, coming back to the present. He was getting a little irritated from thinking too much. Afterall he wasn't an Athena kid. Plus he had ADHD, which means he couldn't exactly focus on one thing for too long.

He tried to ask the basic questions to himself, like Bianca used to advice him whenever he got too confused. _You might need them _Hades had said. About one thing he was sure, the keys couldn't help him to find Thanatos. Nico tensed. Could Hades be talking about Bianca? _Oh No, he couldn't._ Hades would never allow to revive any soul from the Underworld. But then why did Hades gave the keys to Nico to guard? Hades had said he might need the keys. What did Nico want? _Well, a lot of things _Nico thought bitterly..

But what can he get from the keys? A soul obviously.  
Nico wanted only one soul. He wanted Bianca to be alive. He desperately needed his sister back, the only person in the world who understood him completely and cared for him.

Well, technically Hades couldn't let any soul escape, because it would be against the very ancient laws, but Nico could. "That's it!" he exclaimed. He has lost too much, but now he had the chance to get atleast some of it back. He ran towards the Elysium.

* * *

Nico walked back from the Elysium, his eyes stinging like crazy. He blinked them away, determined not to shed a single tear.

_How could Bianca go? How could she not even tell him?! _He didn't even get the chance to say her goodbye. Now his sister was truly gone, her past life forgotten. Nico tried not to feel resentful. A little part of him was actually happy that she'd chosen to reborn into the world, but for now he was mostly sad and a little angry too. Afterall he was going to bring back her back, and she'd be still Bianca.

After Bianca had died, she was waiting desperately to reborn, even though Elysium had everything she desired (except for, well, Life). It was Nico who had convinced her not to choose that option yet, to atleast wait for the Titan War to end. _Ofcourse she wouldn't have waited anymore,_ he thought. She has always been a restless soul, an ADHD soul.

Nico noticed he was walking through Fields of Asphodel, because the spirits were crowding around him, like people in a marketplace, except that Duh! They were dead, and were chattering uselessly. Usually he'd draw his sword to keep them at bay so that he can walk through. This time though he didn't bother, he was feeling too numb for that. He decided to let his thoughts drown out by the chatters. He didn't want to think too much of Bianca's decision, though images of his sister still poked around his head, like a shadow. He kept walking, listening to chatters. Sword or not, the spirits still parted a little for him. His thoughts drifted to the keys, which were now in the pocket of his black overcoat. Maybe the keys had no use for _him_, just another 'responsibility' handed over to him, he thought with a bitter taste in his mouth.

Suddenly he sensed something different; he sensed a demigod somewhere nearby. He could sense the demigods easily, and he'd usually found a few of them in the Fields of Asphodel, chattering uselessly without forming any words.

He stopped in his tracks. This demigod had a very powerful aura-like him, maybe even a little more powerful than him. Without thinking too much, he walked towards the way he sensed that soul.

He spotted a girl, maybe about 13, sitting under the poplar tree, staring at nothing. Nico came closer to her, and she looked at him. She had coffee-colored complexion, with curly brown hair, and sunken eyes which were maybe the color of luminous gold when she had been alive. But she wasn't chattering, her eyes were actually focused. _A child of Hades _Nico thought for a moment. _No, wait. She's Roman._ He came to know about Roman demigods a few months ago, when he discovered a Roman Camp named something like 'Camp Jupiter'. But he never dared to actually go in there, being genuinely afraid that he might get caught.

He focused on her memories (he could read any soul being a child of Hades) and literally saw her whole life. Her memories were more vivid than the other ghosts. _Wow, she was pretty brave, standing up against such a huge deity like Gaea, and then sharing her mother's guilt. _He read her life almost in a second. He showed no emotion, but he was completely awed of her courage.

"You're different" he said, which sounded pretty obvious. "A child of Pluto. You remember your past".

The girl whose name was Hazel Levesque replied "Yes. And you're alive."

Nico was a little taken aback by her answer. Suddenly all the events of today in the Underworld came back to him, forming an idea. _But should I? _He thought. Hazel was very much like Bianca, though she looked nothing like her. Unfortunately Bianca's memories came to him again, and he couldn't contain them any longer.

"I'm Nico Di Angelo" he introduced himself to Hazel "I came here looking for my sister. Death has gone missing, so I thought.." he hesitated, then continued "I thought I could bring her back and no one would notice." Part of him thought why he was telling all this to a random ghost. But she _is _different, he thought. She was much more alive than others.

Hazel looked surprised "Back to life?" she asked."Is that possible?".

"It should have been." He sighed. _Oh well, why not tell the whole thing. _"But she's gone. She chose to be reborn into a new life."

Hazel looked at him with sympathy. "I'm sorry" she said.

She was such a pure soul, so to say. She bore no guilt, no resentment, no hatred towards her mother, her fate and her death.

Nico came to a conclusion. His one hand clutched the golden keys in his pocket, the other hand towards Hazel "You're my sister too. You deserve another chance." He spoke with determination. He now had a pretty good idea about what his father's intentions were.

Meeting this girl wasn't a coincidence. She had a very important destiny; he didn't know what but he was sure of it. He would take her to that Camp Jupiter. She would be safe there. A little part of Nico knew that once Thanatos came back, he would bring Hazel back here again. But another part, the bigger part of him thought _But this time she might achieve Elysium. She will get what she wants, and I will protect her._

He added further to her "Come with me."

Hazel hesitated for a moment, as if it was all a dream she never thought she could achieve. Then she held his hand. The keys glowed hot in Nico's other hand and the world dissolved before him.

**(A/N: So...How is it?)**


	2. Before the Beginning

**A/N: Yay Another Chapter! So my fellow demigods, th****is chapter is about the last night of Percy and Jason in their camp before they (unintentionally) get kidnapped by Hera/Juno/Tia Callida/Queen Loose Cannon, and lots of other names which are probably unintelligible. I used 1st Person POV in this , just for fun :D. Unfortunately Rick Riordian is the puppet master of all these cutesy characters. Happy Reading!**

* * *

**Percy**

ANNABETH WAS WAITING for me on the top of Half Blood Hill. Her crossed arms and her expressions were enough to make me think _Uh-Oh _. If Annabeth hadn't been my girlfriend, I might have even ran away from there. So I approached there cautiously, walking slowly to the top. I mean, I knew I had Achilles heel which made me super-powerful and almost invulnerable and all that stuff, but I Do admit that I'm totally afraid of Annabeth giving me a lecture.

I know you must be thinking -_ What did you do now to make your girlfriend angry, Percy? _Well, I just came a little late (is that such a Big sin for a boyfriend?), and Ihad a pretty good reason for that.

"Hey" I said, trying to ignore Annabeth's disappointed look.

She raised her eyebrows "You're 15 minutes 44 seconds late Seaweed Brain." She still had her backpack, so she must have been waiting for me right there.

"You can't be seriously counting the exact time." I tried for a teasing smirk, but I'm pretty sure it came out as a nervous smile.

"Of course I would. For Olympus sake come on faster now!' She rolled her eyes and waved her hands, which made me sprint towards her.

She seemed to be in a good mood, so probably no lecture. _Phew! _I wrapped my arms around her and then gave her a soft kiss "I missed you."

She gave a huge smile "Missed you too. Now, would you care to give me the 'excuse' for coming this late?"

She took my hand and we walked towards the Cabins of Camp-Half Blood, while I tried to explain her this stupid Ogre-type monster I had to fight on my way to the Camp. My attention though, was more at the beautiful view of the Camp Half-Blood. I can't even tell you how much I love this place. This is my _real _home after all, the only place in the world where I feel safest, _and _the happiest.

"What was the monster's name?" Annabeth asked, interrupting my thoughts. As a child of the Wisdom Goddess (the same Goddess who doesn't like me much), she always kept asking everyone for more information on the Mythological monsters, Architectural places, and Recyclable junks (please don't ask).

"Well..I didn't asked him. He didn't even boasted like other monsters do. He just appeared out of nowhere and then-"

"Attacked" She said, gesturing Stop sign with her hand and finishing further explanations of my fight in one word. "Alright. We'll discuss it later."

"Sure." I said, "Dinner first, right?"

She smirked "We missed it, Seaweed Brain". Maybe she already knew what I'd be thinking, and her guess was absolutely correct, because I started moaning about Food.

"Gods, Percy!" Annabeth scolded, "You sound like Grover now."

"But I didn't eat anything since lunch." My stomach growled in sympathy.

Annabeth chuckled, which sounded like the murmurs of the sea to me."Well, you can still eat marshmallows on the Campfire." she said.

My eyes widened. _Gods, _I'm so dense sometimes! The moments like these always makes me glad that I'm dating a Child of Athena. How in the Hades can I forget about marshmallows?! I gripped her hand tightly and we ran toward our cabins.

I practically dumped my bag on the floor of my cabin, but of course Annabeth made me pick it up and I had to carefully place it on the bed. Then Annabeth put her stuff in her cabin, which took exactly 2 minutes and 12 seconds (Yeah, okay, go ahead, laugh! But I'm telling you, there's nothing more compelling in the world to count each second when you're stomach is growling hard). After that we sprinted towards the Amphitheater.

When we reached the Campfire, the kids from Apollo Cabin were leading a sing along, as usual. I waved at Will Solace-the Head Counselor of Apollo Cabin-who waved back at me without losing the single rhythm of his lyre.

Chiron gestured at us to join him. The centaur's face was gleaming in the firelight. Thank the Gods Dionysus wasn't there (Does that mean Thank Dionysus too?). Maybe he was snoring out in his room in the Big House. Annabeth and I walked towards Chiron and gave him a big hug (which was sort of a challenge in itself). When the song ended, he formally welcomed both of us to the camp. The campers cheered really loud, which made the Campfire about twenty feet high with bright yellow light.

"Woah!" I yelled, my face almost inches from the blazing fire. When it receded to normal, I gave a short laugh "Hey guys, I missed you all too! We're all gonna have so much fun together." All the campers laughed and cheered.

"Man, Percy was almost toast!" someone said jokingly. "That I would've paid to see." Clarisse sneered.

"Nice to see you too Clarisse." I rolled my eyes at her. She smirked at me and muttered something like 'Punk'.

"Alright Campers. Let's continue the sing-along." Chiron insisted. So I took my usual place and Annabeth took hers along with the Athena Cabin.

After the sing-alongs and marshmallows (which I didn't stop eating till I got three burps), I took Annabeth's hand and we walked back to the Cabins along with the Campers. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew out of nowhere and went towards the direction of the Big House. The others including Annabeth didn't seem to notice that, but when I glanced there, I noticed the curtains of the attic stirring. For some reason, it reminded me of the Oracle of Delphi (she kind of resided in Rachel's body now), who had issued the next Great Prophecy on my birthday. I looked away immediately.

I focused on Annabeth, who looked really happy and excited, and I knew why."Thinking about our plans?" I asked. Yesterday we've talked on phone (which was pretty rare for demigods) and figured out that we have about 3 weeks to spend together. After that I just had to give Chiron a heads-up call about me coming to the camp. Usually I don't spend my winters in Camp Half-Blood, but hanging out with your demigod girlfriend was clearly an exception.

"Of course, Seaweed Brain." She rolled her eyes, giving a beautiful smile. "Just please wake up on time okay? We've got lots of stuff to do."

"Wouldn't miss anything." I said, stopping outside Cabin 6. I kissed her and said Goodnight, and she kissed me back, which melted me from head to toe. I watched her go inside her Cabin with her siblings. Then I walked towards my cabin to sleep. I seriously can't wait for tomorrow!

* * *

**Jason **

THE FIRST COHORT came out of the fort with Octavian in the lead, who held the banners of the Third and Fourth Cohort, while the Second Cohort's Centurion held the Fifth Cohort's banner. I gripped the reins of my Pegasus to control my anger. The Fifth Cohort, _my _cohort, has lost again. I took a deep breath. Well, at least the game had been played fair, mostly.

"The game is won!" I announced, which made Octavian and his stupid followers cheer and shout.

"Assemble for honors!" Reyna yelled. I looked at her, who was riding her Pegasus named Scipio besides mine. She looked at me in sympathy. She knew how close I felt towards my Cohort, which probably wasn't justifiable feeling to have when you're a Praetor of a whole _Legion_ itself. I nodded at her to assure that I'm okay, looked back at the Romans and then steered my Pegasus towards the Field of Mars, Reyna riding alongside me. Both the _Pegasi_ touched the ground.

After the formal announcements of the Legionnaires who would be getting different military medals tomorrow at the Senate House, the Legionnaires started moving towards their bunks. I dismounted my Pegasus and ran towards Dakota. He was moving sluggishly, so it was pretty easy to catch up to him.

"Hey Dakota! Nice work there." I said. He sighed. Gwen came to my side.

"Sorry Jason. We were pretty close, but the Second Cohort took us by surprise." she said, looking deflated.

"Oh don't worry about that. But you guys could do better. I'm sure of it. Just don't let the formations get too loose once you guys reach the enemy territories. The defenders especially look on that. Remember, _Fortes-"_

_"-Fortuna Juvat._ We know that Praetor." Dakota and Gwen finished in chorus. "Yeah." I said a little lamely. "Still, you guys did a good job. Keep it up!" I encouraged. They nodded and smiled. After greeting them goodnight, I let them go ahead.

Someone bumped behind me. "Ow!" said a girl's voice. I turned and looked at Hazel Levesque, who was rubbing her head "Oh, Sorry Hazel. You alright?"

She looked at me and straightened up, a little bewildered "Yes Jason. Um, sorry, I wasn't looking."

"That's fine." I said. Honestly, I could never figure out this girl of Pluto. She was friendly enough, but whenever I asked her about her past, she'd get moody and tried to divert the questions. She had joined the camp just a few weeks ago. She was pretty brave, and I admired that very much, ignoring what other Romans thought about a Pluto's daughter in our legion. Seriously, some Romans get _way_ too crazy when it comes to superstitions. But I wasn't one of them. A good leader has to believe their own senses, rather than plain beliefs. Besides, she was just a young girl for Jupiter's sake.

Hazel looked pretty tired. Except for a few bruises and minor cuts, she looked okay for a girl who charged a fort filled with fully armed Romans with armor and weapons that were probably heavier than her.  
"It's good to see you've survived this game without any major injuries." I said politely.

She gave a small smile "Thank you Jason. I'll try harder next time."

"I know you will. Sleep well." She nodded back and then went away.

I flew away from there, _literally _of course. I willed the wind spirits to speed up. Seriously, I loved this power. Who the heck needs Pegasus when you could fly on your own? (Oh well, I had to ride that Pegasus earlier as per old traditions of a referee of the game; but never mind). At a certain height Camp Jupiter looked somewhere between beautiful & striking, standing with dignity in the middle of the rolling hills in the dark. I loved seeing my home from up here (Hey, everyone admits that aerial shots are the best!) The cool winds felt great on my face.

I passed the city limits (after a brief talk with Terminus the Border God), grabbed the basket of brownies from the bakery shop (Sam always spared a few for me), and then flew straight towards the temples.

I landed in front of Jupiter's temple. Yep, right at the Dad's place. I went inside, peering at the massive statue of the Sky Lord, who stood there with dignity in his Big Toga and his symbol of power- The Lightning Bolt. If only I could ever meet him in person..

I took a portion of my meal and set it on the altar. "To Jupiter _Optimus Maximus. _" I said. "Accept my offering, father." After a moment the brownies got scattered in the wind in the smallest pieces possible. I never knew what happened to them, whether Jupiter ate them or the wind spirits ate them (or maybe Jupiter liked to tear the food apart for fun). It just felt the right thing to do. It was a wishful thinking, but I've always wondered about how one day I'll ask him about his favorite kind of offering.

My eyes laid on the carcass of the stuffed toys. I clenched my teeth. I've never met my Dad, but I was pretty sure that even he didn't like to have mutilated teddy bears on his altar. Unfortunately that was the way Octavian worked; with his Sharpened knife and his Sharpened Tongue. Since I became the Praetor, Octavian has been in control more or less. But the way he has his influence over the Legionnaires..well, I wish I could just strangle him instead of let him do the auguries (of course I can't do that..but still!)

I paced around the temple, thinking about a dozen things at once, mainly focusing on the upliftment of the Legion. Somehow, the rush of the wind spirits, the touch of the golden altar, the vastness of this open-aired temple gave me the calmness and peacefulness I needed. My mind was often a lot clearer here.

After the last Titan War, the things have calmed down a lot. The monsters arrived only a few times. More demigods and _legacies _were able to cross the borders. But things could change at any moment. We Romans must not be taken by surprise. Also, as now more demigods were filling in, I had other small responsibilities too. You never know what could happen when two Romans start fighting.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice Vitellius the House Lare until he suddenly came in front of me and loudly said "Peek-a-Boo!"

I backed away cursing, tossed my coin which instantly changed to my golden sword, and swung it at him. If he wasn't already a ghost, he would be totally dead.

He laughed aloud "Hahaha! Oh, I soo love doing that!" He brushed a tear from his eye, totally amused.

"Vitellius." I said, irritated "You _really_ should stop doing that to me."

"Why Jason Grace, you should be getting used to it now." Vitellius said. I sighed, tossing my sword which landed on my palm as my coin_ Ivlivs_, and put it in my pocket.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

Vitellius frowned and scratched his chin "Hmm...I forgot. It was probably important, something about-Oh look, the Prophecy!" He suddenly pointed on the floor on which he was half embedded.

I focused at the prophecy written on the floor. It was the ancient Prophecy of Seven itself, written in Latin. I was about to ask Vitellius why he showed me that, but when I looked up, he was gone. I looked around, in case he wanted to go 'Peek-a-Boo' on me all over again, but he was nowhere to be found. _Weird._ I frowned, but after a moment shook my head. Maybe he was just trying to distract me and vanish without me noticing (another thing he likes to do). I glanced at the Jupiter's statue again, and went out of the temple.

I reviewed and briefed my mental list of tasks I have to do tomorrow as I flew towards the Fort and ate my brownies (Hey, a Praetor's got to eat right?). And then reviewed my list of problems that were to be discussed (or more likely, to be debated) in the Senate House. The only good news was that I could participate in Gladiator Fighting tomorrow. In the Coliseum of New Rome, with the Veteran families and ghosts watching, Gladiator fighting is definitely worth playing.

Once I reached the _Via Principalis,_ I walked towards my room. I met Reyna on the way and greeted her goodnight. She greeted me back formally, then after a moment of hesitation, reminded me that we needed to discuss a lot of stuffs. I told her I've already planned on that. She smiled "Great. See you tomorrow." "See you tomorrow." I replied. Then I walked towards my room and went straight to the bed. Can't wait for tomorrow.

* * *

_The moment closes._

_ It closes upon them. All of them. _

_The moment which is the beginning of what has happened, _

_and what has never happened. _

_The moment which will bring upon much _

_to Reveal, _

_to Take Away, _

_to Lose, _

_to Win,_

_to Lead, _

_to Choose,_

_to Misery,_

_to Happiness, _

_to Pain, _

_to Elation, _

_to Survive,_

_to Hope._

_It offers a door to be opened and closed._

_It brings a path to be taken and journey along_

_It begins something more than a quest, more than a war,_

_It is the History, it is the Future, it cannot be awaited anymore._

_Yes, Now the moment cannot be awaited anymore_

_Here it nears, _

_Here it nears,_

_ Here it comes..._

* * *

**A/N: The last part is something I wrote while hearing a really creepy but kind of catchy instrumental music (perhaps you should try it too!). Its something like the Fates could be thinking, isn't it? I never wrote a poem before, but it sort of looks like that. Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter. LOTS OF HUGS & THANKS to those who reviewed my first chapter. In fact you too can give suggestions on which scenes I should depict here (though i already have a long list :D). I haven't made a particular schedule yet for writing. I write whenever i'm free, so i can't predict when my next chapter will come. But I'm totally enjoying writing the chapters and I hope you Enjoy them reading too. ****Keep Reviewing Guys! **Have a good time!


	3. A Hard Choice

**A/N: So much for being punctual *sigh*. Sorry guys, I've been really busy for the last few days. Of course I can give you the whole explanations but NO! Time to proceed buddies! Its over now. No more delays. There will be new chapter every once in a week from now on****(promise!).**

**Alright, so this story I'd like to dedicate to my mom, 'coz she's very much like the one whose POV is here (though I wont tell her that or she'll beat the schist out of me :D). Happy Reading!**

* * *

**Frank's Grandmother- Mrs. Zhang **

Grandma Zhang did NOT prefer these things to happen. Maybe the Gods (Greek or Roman or Chinese, she wasn't sure) were testing her right now. She has to be brave and strong enough to face the undeniable future. But her heart couldn't help breaking to pieces when she heard the news of Emily's death in the Afghanistan War. Now, not only she was too old, but also her only child has died, and now she was left holding the lifeline of her only grandson, _literally. _

She stood at the backyard, watching Fai Zhang from a distance as he kept shooting her favorite porcelain collections. A sour taste formed in her mouth. Fai Zhang, who preferred to call himself Frank (the nerve!) wasn't much of a deal either. He was too soft and kind and stupid. He looked like a huge toddler, which were definitely not the looks of a Son of a Roman God. She sighed inwardly. She'd never met Lord Mars in person, but she wondered whether he had taken some _really_ ugly form while dating her daughter.

But despite of her disappointing thoughts for Fai, a tiny part of her couldn't help admiring him right now. Despite his burly body, his hands shot arrows to the targets perfectly. Despite his usual soft nature, right now he was showing how much of a Son of a War God he was. She might have even complimented him on his skills if the circumstances weren't this bad. She wondered what would've Emily thought of him right now. She immediately shook the thoughts away, trying to ignore the hollow pain that was forming in her chest again. It was the right time, the only time she'd get. She has to tell him everything he needs to know.

The mahogany chest was handled carefully in her wrinkled hands as she walked towards the site of debris and called "Fai."He turned and looked at her. His expressions conveyed deep anger; anger beyond she never thought she'd ever see in him. The loss of Emily might have been too much for him. But still, Grandma thought, it didn't mean that he gets so enraged about it. It was Emily's choice to sacrifice herself in the war, and he must respect her for that. She surveyed the carnage done from closer view this time. She wanted to be angry at him for breaking her favorite collection to shards.

"Stop this ridiculous behavior. It is beneath you." she scolded. But as she felt the mahogany box in her hands, her anger dissolved. _It isn't worth it _. The loss of the teapots were nothing compared to what she was about to lose (again..), so she kicked what used to be her favorite collection, just to let out some of her frustration. "The car will be here soon." she continued, "We must talk."

At that the original Fai Zhang came back, with his usual dumb expression. She barely suppressed a snort.

"Come inside." she said turning and walked inside the house, not waiting for her grandson. She just wanted to get it done, over and over._ No whining _she thought.

* * *

Grandma Zhang watched from her window as Fai disappeared with the wolves. She hoped he would pass Lupa's test, but she couldn't be sure. She felt bad lying to him about not knowing who his father was, but it was quite necessary as the Roman Gods preferred to claim their children themselves. She also regretted not telling Frank about his powers, but they didn't had any time left, and she was almost sure that he could figure it out himself (emphasis on 'Almost'). Besides, she didn't want to scare Fai more than he already was. Fai Zhang was supposedly the most different, most powerful and most vulnerable of their clan. He has to possess great courage to bear his own burden from now on.

Grandma sighed and walked towards the fireplace, and sat down on the couch contently. No need to sit in the perfect posture; she was getting too weak for that now. She just stared at the fireplace in heavy silence. Quite unexpectedly, a tear traced down her wrinkled cheek, yet she didn't care about brushing it off.

_Oh Emily! If only you were here.. _

After some time, when all the tears fell away, taking just a little part the of huge grief with them, she gathered herself. She sat forward, folded her hands and prayed to the Gods to give peace to Emily's soul in her afterlife. It was all she could do to not burst into tears again.

* * *

Grandma Zhang's eyes flew open with a sudden creaking sound of the door opening. She thought it might be Mars again, but instead she saw a young girl entering her room cautiously, a pillow and a blanket under her arms. Grandma's instincts jumped up. She got up fast, but her stiff muscles and joints gave away and she yelped. The girl saw her and quickly came over to support, leaving her contents to one place. The girl held her carefully and lied her down again, assuring her that she would be fine, but Grandma wasn't paying attention to that. She just noticed Fai snoring on the floor next to her bed. She frowned.

"Who are you?" she asked the girl harshly.

The girl looked alarmed. "I'm Hazel. Hazel Levesque. We're with Frank. We were on a quest to Alaska and-"

"_We?_" Grandma demanded.

"Uh..there's our friend Percy too. He's sleeping in the other room. And a harpy, Ella."

Grandma scowled. "Did you say a harpy? What's a monster doing in my house?"

"Don't worry ma'am. She's not a monster. She's pretty friendly, and she won't harm anyone. I promise." Hazel replied quickly. Grandma believed the girl was telling the truth, but she couldn't stop wondering what her ancestors would've thought of that.

Fai gave away a big snore. Grandma knew Fai would be coming for her, but she never thought she'd meet him like this, in the middle of the night. "How in the name of the Gods did you three sneaked up into my house without those stupid Ogres noticing?" she asked.

The girl, Hazel glanced at Fai for a moment, then explained about how he summoned a _Spartus _with his dragon-toothed spear to kill a small party of the monsters without any other ogres noticing. After she was done explaining, Grandma couldn't help being amazed at her Grandson's courage. Sure, Mars told her about his quest and babbled a lot about his son, but she thought he was just bluffing.

More surprisingly, she never thought she would sleep too deep to even notice three teenagers sneaking up to her house and sleeping. She _definitely _couldn't imagine sleeping with Fai's loud snoring in the room. There he laid- scattered on the cold floor, looking like he had just fought in a lot of dirt without bathing for several days, snoring like an elephant (how he did that without transforming to an elephant, she didn't know).

She muttered some Mandarin curses on the stupid boy._ Where are his etiquettes? Has he no shame?! _Hazel watched him too, a small smile on her face. Grandma suspected this girl might be more than a friend to him. _Fai Zhang having a girlfriend?! Ha! _

Hazel put the pillow she had brought on the floor and put Fai's head slowly above it, then covered his sprawled body with blanket. Grandma felt an urge to slap him hard, but she couldn't even get up. Hazel stood and arranged Grandma's blanket too. Grandma was thankful for that, though she didn't say that.  
"What am I ever going to do with my stupid oaf?" she said, giving a stink-eye at the ceiling.

Hazel wisely didn't replied to that. Grandma patted a space on the corner of her bed, "Sit here, Hazel Levesque. I would like to talk to you, if you don't mind giving me company." After being with such insensible males like Fai and Mars for the last two months, she was more than glad to spend some moments with this girl. Hazel smiled "Of course ma'am." She sat cautiously, her golden eyes were shimmering with mysterious power.

"Who is your godly parent?" Grandma asked curiously.

"Pluto." Hazel said, a little uncomfortable.

Grandma nodded. That certainly explained her powerful aura. "Then you must already know that I may not be alive for long."  
Hazel pursued her lips and looked down. She didn't say anything, which gave an answer as clear as the surface of Grandma's porcelain vases.

Grandma cleared her throat "Listen Hazel, daughter of Pluto. You already know that we do not have much time. Even though I'm glad to see my stupid buffoon for one last time, you children shouldn't have come here. The ogres are too much even for three demigods to handle, and I would not prefer any of you to die just to save me."

Hazel started to protest but Grandma stopped her with her hand "I'll help you three get out of the house safely. I would tell Fa-" she almost called him Fai, but amended it quickly "-Frank about how you kids can escape tomorrow morning. He will tell you the plan."

Hazel looked worried "But ma'am, what about you? We want to help you. We can't leave you like this. Frank can't-"

"Frank will endure, girl. He's brave and strong and knows his duties well." Grandma said, something that she'd never even think about to admit it to Fai.  
"In the morning, you all must be ready to go. But first, you should go to sleep. You have a hard quest ahead of you. And do not hesitate to use bathrooms or any other provisions. You can go now."

Her tone must have made it clear that she did not want to talk anymore, because Hazel stood up. She looked like she wanted to say something, but the words seem to be stuck in her throat. Perhaps she knew that there was going to be no argument against her. She bowed and managed to say "Have a good night ma'am." She glanced at Fai one more time, then went out of the room closing the door behind her.

* * *

Of course Grandma didn't sleep. Her death was so close, she could _feel _the countdown. Yet she knew she couldn't do anything about it. The hours passed by.

Sunlight streaked from the windows, making the morning peaceful. At least, it would be very peaceful, Grandma thought, if not for those stupid laistrygonians shouting at the house, demanding breakfast. Grandma couldn't help thinking of various strategies she would have applied to beat them all down. It helped her to pass some time. Then Hazel Levesque entered the room, carrying two trays. Strangely, the scent of freshly prepared food made Grandma's stomach growl.

Hazel beamed at her. "Good Morning Ma'am. I brought you some breakfast."

Grandma couldn't help giving a weak smile in return. Hazel looked fresh after the bath. Grandma noticed she was wearing some of Emily's old clothes, but she certainly didn't mind that because the clothes quite fit her, and she looked rather beautiful in it. Hazel put the trays, then helped Grandma to sit up.

"How are you feeling ma'am?" Hazel asked gently.

"Oh I'm feeling a lot better. And I'm sure I'll be as strong as a lion after I eat your breakfast." Grandma lied. Truthfully, she felt extremely weak, but she dared not show her weakness.

Hazel passed her the tray and Grandma started eating, ignoring those ogres moaning for food. Halfway through the food, she realized Hazel was still there, so she stopped eating and asked "Have you and your friend eaten?"

Hazel nodded. "Percy and Ella are still eating. But the Laistrygonians..they're are getting restless."

Grandma snorted "Those stupid ogres won't settle for some bacon and eggs. Anyways, you and your friend-what is his name again?"

"Percy Jackson. He's a son of Neptune."

Grandma raised her eyebrow. She remembered Mars talking a bit about him, and she vaguely remembered how he mentioned him being a Greek Demigod.

"Ah yes. You two should go to the attic. You will find many weapons there. And tell Percy to go to the roof, he'll find something useful there to fight those monsters."

Hazel frowned, probably thinking about what could be possibly be there on the roof. Grandma finished her food and gave the tray back to Hazel."Thank you Hazel Levesque, for the food, and for your company. Just..don't let anyone know of our short conversation last night. I don't want my buffoon to get a bigger head than he already has."

Hazel smiled "Yes ma'am. And thank you too for letting us stay here."

Grandma had to admit she was truly impressed by her. She seemed so more mature than she looked. "I wish some people could learn some proper manners from you." Grandma said, noticing Hazel shooting glances to Fai from time to time, while that idiot still laid mumbling in his sleep. Her suspicions of Hazel being his girlfriend were quite confirmed when Grandma noticed the other tray full of Fai's favorite breakfast. Hazel glanced back at Grandma, knowing that she had caught her glancing, a small blush creeping her cheeks. "Um..I've already picked some fresh clothes for him."

"Oh I'll inform him that. He smells even worse than sewage, so a bath would certainly do some good to him." Grandma replied non-nonchalantly.

Suddenly the ogres started to yell defiantly, which made Hazel curse in Latin.

"Go girl! Don't delay anymore." Grandma said.

Hazel nodded and ran outside. "Percy, come on!" she yelled.

After she was gone, Grandma looked back at her grandson. _Sleep time over, my clod_. "Fai." she called.

* * *

There was fire in every direction she looked. The house was shaking with the explosions. Grandma wasn't scared at all, yet she was deeply saddened with the thought of this place burning down. The place which held countless unforgettable memories of her and her family. She took a deep breath (which made her almost cough) and concentrated hard. Her last burst of energy converted her to a bird she liked the most-the Buzzard. The heat coming from the fire seemed to singe her wings. She folded them and flew straight away from the window. Her small & sharp eyes registered her Cadillac racing towards the airport, with ogres chasing them. Those three were doing their work well. The mansion shook badly. She flew away from there, darting towards the endless blue sky.

She was determined to find a place away from the chaos. Towards peace, towards death itself.  
Her mind still buzzed and her body still wrenched with pain, but in her heart she found utmost peace. She has completed all her duties. All her achievements has been accomplished. Her legacy would be carried on by her Grandson now, who will prove to be the best of the Zhang Family. Now that she has guided him, he will be able to complete the family circle.

She was ready to proceed to the last level, the last phase of all.

* * *

**The FEELS!**

** I hope you like this chapter. Please DO review, because I LOVE Reviews! I'm thinking about having a separate chapter of Grandma Zhang and Mars. Those two will be a lot of fun to write. But they won't be in the next one. Next one belongs to Percabeth and to the 'Einstein Angel'. Wait, you don't know who that is? Guess who?**

** And as I said before, no more delays. There will be new chapter every week. That's all for now:)!**


	4. A Friend in Need

**A/N: OH MY GOSH! I got such good reviews for third chapter. THANK YOU ALL SO SO MUCH! **

**Alright, so first of all- This Chapter contains spoilers of House of Hades. Read it at your own risk. You've been warned!**

***ahem* So this chapter is about our favorite Titan Bob! Let's see what the heck was he thinking jumping into Tartarus :D. Bob's POV is pretty childish in it (because he Is childish). I hope you like it as much as I did. Happy Reading!**

* * *

**Bob the Titan**

Bob swept the land of the dead.

_Swish, Swish, Swish._

"Sw-Sweep. Sweepy Sweepy Sweep. Swee-Swee-Sweep-" he kept murmuring the words, making a parody of the song he heard from a soul some time ago. He was absolutely bored, but singing helped removing some of it.

His push-broom scraped against the wet colored stuff on the floor, most of which was red. An anonymous curiosity won out of him and he bent to see the red liquid. It was blood, mortal blood. He found a lot of it around here, including rotten mortal bones, muscles and several internal organs. They said his job was to clean it all, so the fragrance could be reduced. At least, it was fragrance to Bob. It smelled, like, _really _good. That was the part of the reason he was happy to sweep his broom around, there was so much fragrance in every direction. But mostly, he was happy because Bob had over-heard his boss awhile ago, telling his Queen that he did a good job.

Bob liked to do his jobs well! He smiled and shrugged and started sweeping again. He must keep sweeping and do his job, or the boss might get disappointed. He hoped there won't be any exploding zombies today. He didn't like to confront and sweep those _baddies._

_Swish, Swish, Swish_.

He wished his friend Nico di Angelo was here. He liked it very much to spend some time with him. Sometimes they both even shared their stories to let the time pass. Nico often told him about his adventures in the mortal world, roaming back and forth between two demigod camps, fighting monsters, and a lot about his friends, especially Percy Jackson. Percy was Bob's friend too, though he only met him once. In exchange to Nico's stories, Bob told Nico about all the cleanings he did here. Probably Nico didn't talk much to anyone else than he did to Bob. He could sense that much. Whenever Nico started talking he'd looked very frustrated, and when he'd stop, he'd have a smug smile on his face, feeling pretty content to let it all out. Bob didn't try to interpret most of what Nico was saying, but by the way he talked, Bob figured that Nico felt as lonely as he did. So whenever they met they talked a Lot, till the loneliness felt like a distant companion.

_Swish, Swish, Swish_

He could hear the shrieks, the laughter- every single soul in the Underworld (that was the official name of this place), but the sound of 'Swish' of broom against the land full of piles of dead mortal bodies made the other voices sound like flies buzzing around his head. His eyes wandered aimlessly around the scene around him while sweeping. On his right was a huge dark building they called the Judgement Pavilion. In front of him were the Fields of Asphodel, where there were so many souls that it would be complete madness to even think about sweeping that place. The laughter came from behind him, in a strip of land surrounded by water which consisted full of happy souls. And the horrible shrieks came from Way beyond that direction, in what; they explained; was the Land where the mortal souls were punished. On his left was a big black castle where his boss, the King Hades, resided.

_Swish, Swish, Swish._

His mind was mostly occupied to the sweeping and random things & places around him, but one part, just the tiniest part of him was bothered by the cave far away on the front left corner. That small part was _always_ bothered about that place. It was as if a long thin thread connected him to the cave. He once even tried to find that thread over his body so that he could break it, but he couldn't find any. When he told his friend Nico about it, he looked almost worried, then assured Bob that it was nothing. Yet he did warn Bob to not explore that place, or else the Boss would be angry. So Bob never swept that place.

_Bob_.

He jerked his head up and whirled around. He was sure someone has called his name. But who? It could be his friend, Nico. But he couldn't smell any fresh fragrance, as it always was when Nico was around. It was Percy, his other friend.

Wait, Percy _called_ him. He stood still for a moment, hesitating to believe what he just heard, then jumped & cheered in joy "My Friend Percy Called Me!"

He tried to sense his friend, to know where he was hiding from him, as if they were playing a game of hide-and-seek. But his senses said otherwise. Percy Jackson was in danger.

"In danger?" he asked to himself. A fury glanced at him as she flew over him, then gave a gesture which looked like an indication that he was going crazy. But he wasn't. He was sure of it.

Before he could make sense of what he was doing, he ran towards that dark cave, which was the exact direction from where he heard Percy calling him. His boots squished against the blood and he tripped many times over the bones, but he did not care. Percy was in danger!

He moved inside the cave, and he saw a pit. It was pretty big. And cold and dark and bad. Wait, not bad. Not _that_ bad at all. Bob somehow felt the presence of the abyss...reassuring, if that made any sense. But he _knew_ this place was bad.

His other friend Nico was right, he should not have come here. That thread now felt like it was thickening, and the connection felt oddly stronger. That somehow scared him even more than the evilness of this place. But Percy was in danger. Percy was his friend. He could hear him very clearly now, talking to monsters. That was definitely bad. He _has_ to help his friend.

"Help Percy." he said to himself, and jumped down the pit before he could lose his courage. He clutched his broom tightly, trying to terminate the free-falling tickling in his stomach.

.

He fell,

and fell,

and fell,

and fell.

.

Soon Bob started seeing red, and could sense Percy stronger now. He concentrated and imagined himself landing where Percy was. Somehow he knew he could do that.

His feet found the land of Tartarus. _Yes, this place is called Tartarus_. It was absolutely barren, big and lonesome. Some hundred feet ahead was another big chasm. Wait, he _knew_ this place. He knew _everything_ about Tartarus. He was sure that all the information about this evil place was embedded deeply in his brain, but he couldn't yet decipher them completely.

.

_IAPETUS!_ His mind went highly alert at that sound. Someone has spoken into his mind.

_IAPETUS HAS COME?_

_IAPETUS HAS COME!_

There were suddenly several voices in his head. They sounded as if they were celebrating. Why were they celebrating?

"Ia-what?" he asked innocently, then clutched his head tightly at the onslaught of voices.

_COME IAPETUS! _They all chanted.

_COME _

_COME_

_COME _

_COME _

_COME TO US. _

_YOU HAVE COME! _

_LET US PUT AN END TO THE MORTAL WORLD TOGETHER! _

_WE SHALL WALK THE EARTH AGAIN!_

_WE SHALL RULE! _

_YES, WE SHALL WIN AND RULE AGAIN!_

Bob didn't fully understand what they were talking about, but he gulped loudly.

_COME TO US_

_WE SHALL FINISH THE RULE OF THE GODS!_

_BUT FIRST START FINISHING DEMIGODS!_

_DEMIGODS SUCK!_

_WE SHALL START WITH THOSE TWO IN TARTARUS! _

_THEY DARE TO COME HERE? WE SHALL PERISH THEM! _

His fear suddenly vanished at that. He stood tall with his broom handled upside down, the end of it hitting the ground hard. They wanted to hurt his friend? He would protect his friend. He would NOT let them perish Percy. The voices slowly died, but they still echoed in his head, like an afterimage.

Nevertheless, he ran towards the chasm and stood at the edge. There he was! Percy! His friend! But Percy was crying and stumbling. He seemed to be protecting a mortal girl, who was in danger too. The monsters were all females with one leg of an animal & other metallic, their fangs deadly dangerous. _Empousai_, the correct word came to him, just like that. It was as if it was already in his mind, and it was just waiting to come outside at the right time.

He snapped out of his jumbled thoughts when he saw two of them biting Percy. Absolute fury surrounded him. No one can hurt his friend! He gave a huge war battle cry and jumped down the edge. But this time his landing wasn't accurate, because instead of landing in front of Percy, he landed on the Empousai near the mortal girl, and smashed the monster with his foot. _HaHa! _Bob felt like laughing out loud. But the others were still attacking. And Percy was still in danger. _Help Friends._

Soon, Bob finished all of the bad lady monsters. After a happy reunion and introductions, he took the lead and walked towards the place he just remembered. It would be perfect for these mortals, compared to this bad place Tartarus. He couldn't believe it for a moment. He was with his friends! He will protect his friends so that they could...do whatever they were about to do here.

But Bob was scared. Very scared. Not of Tartarus. The place didn't scare him a bit. But the voices-they scared him. He didn't know why, but he started chanting the name _Bob_ in his head. Probably to not let the voices attack his mind again. He felt a little assured. But then he also started chanting other small phrases too-

_Bob, Bob, Bob_

_Help Friends_

_Protect friends_

_Percy is his friend_

_Annabeth is_ _also his__ friend_

_Bob protects his friends_

_I am Bob._

* * *

**A/N: Oh, no no no. I didn't cry at all. Nope, no way. Oh this? It's just liquid pouring out of my eyes! *sniffle***

**REVIEW TIME! Oh, and the next chapter will be about our famous RARA. Have a good time!**


	5. Lovey Dovies

**A/N: So, yeah. I'm really late. What else is new? *sigh*. ****Hey but it's not my fault. You can blame those stupid exams (which was informed to us in a very short notice by the way), or the parties, or..well..my busy life...**

**But I refused to quit in this story. No freaking way! I still love writing the chapters! But I'm sorry I couldn't yet complete the Reyna chapter i promised *sheepish smile*.**

**Oh by the way, Happy Late Valentine's Day! For that special occasion (which is now gone..I KNOW!) I'm gonna compensate by posting this story I wrote even before The release of House of Hades (and of course, i edited it after that book.) Now please know that I ship Jasper just like Percabeth as well as Frazel as well as *spoilers* Caleo. Honest! It's just that it was the only story I've completed and haven't posted in here yet. But I know you'll love it, because I did too! **

**This short incident is set after HoH, so its more like a drabble, but really cute! And uh well i tried my best to keep it K+ and not T. So, without wasting any time- ****Happy Reading!**

* * *

**Piper**

Piper was SO bone tired, she was pretty sure she couldn't move another step. But to her surprise she did. Then another step. One after another. Her head hung down, looking at her feet. She moved sluggishly towards the mast. This monster really had sapped all her strength. She had to sing for hours, continuously using her charmspeak to make that large red serpent _not_ eat the ship in one bite. It had finally faded away, and her heart warmed to look up and see her friends' glad faces.

'Awesome work Beauty Queen!' Leo encouraged her yelling from the helm.

Jason ran towards her and put his arm around for support, his brows furrowing in a worried expression 'Pipes, you don't look good.'

Percy came from behind and grinned 'Seriously, that was awesome.'

Annabeth gripped her shoulders 'But now you need some rest.' Hazel and Frank nodded in agreement.

'Gods, I never thought we'd be able to take on that huge mutt without you' Frank said. 'No kidding' Hazel added.

Piper murmured a thanks, and she was actually feeling pretty proud of herself, though part of her was cussing her from inside to be this weak.

'I'll help her get to her room. I don't think medicines would work. She needs some serious rest.' Jason grumbled. Piper didn't argued. Others nodded and went to different directions, probably looking out for more threats.

Jason helped her walk downstairs towards her room, but before she could even finish climbing down, she fell. She would've hit her head and rolled down all the way down the stairs if Jason hadn't grabbed her in time. Piper groaned loudly, even if she didn't want to. Judging from Jason's expression she didn't want to worry him more about her. She didn't wanted to be a load on anyone. But her head was swimming badly. She leaned on Jason for support.

'Gods, Pipes.' Jason murmured, then after a moment of thought, slid his one arm around her hip, took her body in his arms and carried her to her room. Part of Piper was feeling really happy at that, though she wished the circumstances would've been better, like when she would actually be fully conscious of Jason carrying her like this, probably to his room- _Stop it!_ Piper thought. Maybe due to the stupid monster, maybe due to Jason, she was going a little crazy. Piper's head lolled to one side, but not for long as a pillow appeared beneath her. Jason carefully put her on the bed and gave her blankets. Then he kissed Piper's forehead. Before Piper could register his soft kiss, she lost consciousness.

* * *

When Piper's dream faded (or nightmares..really, these two words are the same thing for a demigod) she felt a warm & strong hand gripping hers. She opened her eyes and found Jason smiling at her. He stroked her fingers gently. Seeing his smiling face, that cute little scar fading, she forgot all her nightmares, all her worries, everything but Jason smiling at her. She smiled in return.

'Hey' she croaked like a frog, unintentionally of course.

'Nice to see you up.' Jason said, helping her up to sit up on her bed. Piper still felt tired; like she used to back in Wilderness School when she used to jog though 10 miles of Cacti-filled path, only ten times worse; but at least her mind was a lot clearer.

'Do you need some nectar?' Jason asked, his voice full of concern.

'Just some water' Piper croaked again. _Ugh! I need a gallon of it, _she thought.

Jason hurriedly gave her water from a nearby jug. Piper greedily drank it. She stopped and licked her lips, then gulped down more. She finished 3 full glasses.

Jason smiled 'I guess singing makes people thirsty.' Piper snorted 'You bet.' She really wasn't sure why she was in such a good mood, even though any time any monster could attack the ship, even at that very moment. The experiences after crossing the Mare Nostrum had been enough to prove that.

She noticed Jason had that worried expression again, though now he looked a little relieved than before, but just a little. Piper knew from his expression about what he was thinking. She took his hand in both of hers 'Jason, I _am_ fine. Really'.

'I know' Jason sighed. 'It's just- ' He looked frustrated. Then after some moment of silence, he caressed Piper's cheeks with his other hand and brushed some of her hair behind her ear. Piper noticed that most of her hair were outside her dishevelled braid_. Must have happened when the snake was practically breathing on my face_, she thought.

Jason's blue eyes were looking unnerving. 'That snake. It almost killed us today.'

'Hey come on, we do these things every day.' Piper tried to cheer, though she wasn't as good as Leo. Also her voice had caught in between, as she remembered that horrible monster. It was a truly horrible experience to confront for the whole crew. She remembered its big fangs, which were so close to her. She jarred out of her thoughts.

'That's true. We fight these kind of monsters every day.' Jason said without enthusiasm, looking out of the window which showed nothing beyond blue water and grey clouds. 'But now all of us are literally moving toward our deaths." He looked down "I don't care what the prophecy says Pipes, but I'm really worried for everyone, especially our teammates.'

Piper nodded. 'We'll win this war Jason. We Will!'

Jason looked at her, his blue eyes piercing hers 'I hope so. But at what cost? At the expense of how many lives?' He shrugged 'The Seven, Us, We're all more than a team now, even more than a family. Kind of like the organs of a body." He looked at her and leaned a bit "I never thought I'd make such amazing & trustworthy friends. I never thought I'd have such an amazing girlfriend like you.' Piper's face reddened a bit at the compliment. Jason continued 'And now that you're a part of my life, I-' His voice caught a bit 'I don't wanna lose you this easily.'

He gripped her hands tightly, his voice a murmur now 'You saved us today. But seeing you standing there, confronting that monster while we all were unsuccessfully trying to distract it to keep it from attacking, it made me so worried for you Pipes. I really love you.'

Piper didn't realized she was tearing up until Jason brushed off some of them. She caressed his face, which was now inches from hers 'I love you too Jason. A lot. I don't wanna lose you either.'

'Promise me you won't die on me Pipes.' Jason whispered.

Piper shook her head, her voice breaking 'I can't promise that Jason. The danger we're all facing, anything can happen. Besides the prophecy-'

'Please, Promise me!' Jason said pleadingly.

Piper shook her head again, more tears falling 'Why are you asking me for this? You know I can't live without you either. You're not gonna die on me!' Piper said loudly, almost a shout.

Piper wasn't sure why all of a sudden Jason was asking her for a promise like this. How could she promise him like that, when all of their lives were in grave danger. _No, I can't be selfish_ she thought. If it came to protecting her friends and Jason, she would give up her life gladly. She had realized that when she was drowning in the nymphaeum due to some psycho nymphs, so long she knew Jason had the same thoughts, that he too would do anything to save their friends, even if it came to his death. She wiped all her tears, she didn't wanted to cry like a silly girl.

She looked into his blue eyes; which were most of the time determined, but now very sad and desperate; and kissed him softly. Jason kissed her back, holding her face in his both hands. She felt it again, like what her cabin-mates called the 'butterflies in the stomach'. She always felt it when she kissed Jason, though this time she felt it more. Quite involuntary her hands moved through his long shaggy hair, her fingers playing with the locks. Jason pulled her body towards him, kissing deeper. Piper probably swayed a bit at that, though she was more surprised. But she didn't hesitate, her both arms around him, living through the moment. They were probably too close than what Coach Hedge would have allowed, but Piper didn't care at all for that. In fact, she was more than glad that Coach wasn't on the ship.

After what seemed like minutes (though Piper thought she just lived through an eternity) they finally pulled back. A little part of her was complaining wildly about why she stopped, but she got control and gave a nervous smile to Jason, her blush probably too obvious. Jason gave a sheepish smile back to her, his cheeks red, which gave indication to Piper that he hadn't planned on that. It just sort of happened. _But it was awesome,_ she thought giddily. She took his hand in both of hers and looked insistently at him in the eyes again, her tone commanding (but without the charmspeak) "Jason Grace, former Praetor of Rome, I don't care how many medals you've won or how many quests you've gone through, just know that you're mine, which means that I have control on your life too. And I won't let you die on me! Get it?' Jason smiled and kissed her forehead 'As you wish ma'am.'

There was a sudden knock on the door, which made them both jump, and Leo peeked in. 'Yo Beauty Queen! You want- uh, did I interrupt something?'

Jason got up from the chair. 'Not at all man. Is Festus on autopilot?'

Leo nodded, his expression amused. "Dinner time folks. Didn't you hear the bell?'.

'I..uh-' Jason stammered 'We did. We were just coming.' He moved his eyes quickly away from him and towards Piper 'Can you come to dining hall, or should I bring the food here?'

Piper cleared her throat, which had become a little dry again when Leo entered. She tried not to think what would've happened if Leo had come a few minutes earlier "Um..I'll come to the hall.'

"Alright then. See you guys there." Leo said.

Jason was helping Piper to get to her feet, so he didn't notice Leo giving a big grin and wink to Piper before moving out of the room. _Oh Gods_, Piper thought.

Judging from his last expressions, she could tell Leo didn't know what _exactly _had happened, but he must have made a good guess, maybe from how close they were while speaking. Or maybe from their ruffled clothes, Piper thought, as she got up, smoothing her top. Jason whispered something in her ear softly that made her giggle. She whispered back something else. Jason grinned 'Let's go' he said and they walked out of the room, his strong arms supporting her.

* * *

**Teehee ^_^. I just Love Leo..**

**So If you like it don't forget to Review! The next chapter would be Totally about Reyna!**


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